Turkey—Developing an Analytical Basis for Formulating Strategies and Actions Towards Low Carbon Development

Turkey’s economy is characterised by a relatively low, albeit rapidly increasing, environmental footprint. Compared to industrialised countries or other emerging market economies, it has relatively low carbon emissions per unit of gross domestic product. At the same time, emissions have increased much faster than in other countries in recent decades. If policies can be enacted that promote greater resource efficiency and pollution abatement without jeopardising economic growth, Turkey could progress towards high income without a dramatic increase in its environmental footprint.

The European Union (EU)-funded Developing an Analytical Basis for Formulating Strategies and Actions Towards Low Carbon Development programme worked to reduce manmade greenhouse gas emissions by increasing national and local capacity to prepare for medium and long-term action toward climate-resilient low-carbon development. This action will gradually align with EU climate policy and legislation by providing an analytical basis to support realisation of low carbon in the long-term, specifically focusing on cost-effective climate change mitigation actions related to building, waste, transport, and agriculture sectors of the National Climate Adaptation and Action Plan (NCAAP).

By the project’s end, it provided an analytical basis to support low-carbon tools, focusing on buildings, waste, and the transportation and agriculture sectors, including 20 technical reports, 84 working group workshops, consultations with 2,000 stakeholders, and the National Climate Knowledge Portal.

Sample Activities

• Review existing climate change strategies.
• Prepare regulatory and sectoral impact assessments for the Handbook on the Implementation of EU Climate Change Legislation.
• Develop an analytical basis for possible strategies and actions ensuring low-carbon development in the long term.
• Assessment of cost and potential of greenhouse gas mitigation actions as well as nonfinancial gains and losses of actions.

Select Results

• Prepared a stocktaking and assessment of existing climate strategies and review and analysis of the national climate-related strategies policies, plans, and legislation.
• Completed a demand status report, identifying the sectoral development policies intended to meet the greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.
• Performed legislative and institutional gap analysis to improve low carbon development and climate change mitigation performance.
• Prepared a barrier and opportunities report identifying financial, institutional, and technological barriers and opportunities for low carbon development.
• Developed online climate change knowledge portal.
• Completed a review of the actions determined in the NCAAP and assessment of the greenhouse gas emission mitigation potentials of NCAAP activities and other plans relating to four sectors in focus.
• Created assessment of nonfinancial societal gain and loses of greenhouse gas mitigation actions for four sectors.
• Prepared four regulatory impact assessments for the EU climate acquis to be transposed into national legislation.
• Prepared sectoral impact assessments for four sectors.
• Developed low-medium-high greenhouse gas mitigation scenarios for four sectors.
• Provided recommendations on long-term greenhouse gas mitigation options in four sectors.
• Completed training activities to enhance the capacity of related institutions.
• Organised study visits to Finland, Ireland, and Sweden to showcase examples and highlight the potential of technological innovations on energy, transport, waste, buildings, and agriculture sectors to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.